Today’s Walk in the Word

“Because You Say So”

By Joe Barnett / October 17, 2018 / Comments Off on “Because You Say So”

Because you say so, I will let down the nets.       —Luke 5:5 Jesus, the carpenter, told Simon, the fisherman: “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (Lk 5:4). There were two things off base with this charge: 1) Nighttime was the right time to fish; it […]

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Paul’s Last Letter (2)

By Joe Barnett / October 16, 2018 / Comments Off on Paul’s Last Letter (2)

Grace be with you.  —2 Timothy 4:22 I get misty-eyed reading 2 Timothy, Paul’s last letter. He was terribly lonely. “Everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me,” he wrote (1:15). “At my first defense, no one stood with me . . . all forsook me” (4:16). “Only Luke is with me” (4:11). He […]

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Paul’s Last Letter (1)

By Joe Barnett / October 15, 2018 / Comments Off on Paul’s Last Letter (1)

To Timothy, my dear son. 2 Timothy 1:2 Today my scheduled daily Bible reading put me in the pages of 2 Timothy. When I visit here, it’s always with a sense of sadness, because it was Paul’s last letter. His writings have been transformative in my life; so when he signs off and lays aside […]

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Knowing Your Bible

By Joe Barnett / October 12, 2018 / Comments Off on Knowing Your Bible

On his law he meditates day and night.                           —Psalm 1:2 I got a belly laugh out of a publicist’s defense of a politician whose knowledge of Scripture was dubious. “He knows his Bible,” he said. “He’s read it all the way through. […]

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To Tell the Truth

By Joe Barnett / October 11, 2018 / Comments Off on To Tell the Truth

Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.                  —Leviticus 19:11 Ken Stegall, an admired preacher friend, wrote about a man who had a small grocery store in Sheridan, Arkansas in the 1940s. A customer told him she needed a large chicken. He reached into the ice bin, […]

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The Wonders of God

By Joe Barnett / October 10, 2018 / Comments Off on The Wonders of God

In his hand is the life of every creature. —Job 12:10 Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures. They weigh less than one ounce; consume one-half of their weight in sugar daily; have a heart rate of more than 1,200 beats per minute; take 250 breaths per minute. Then there’s this fact that I’m struggling to wrap my […]

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How Long, O Lord?

By Joe Barnett / October 9, 2018 / Comments Off on How Long, O Lord?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.                   —Proverbs 3:5 Habakkuk was frustrated. “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Hb 1:2). The prophet gives voice to our disappointment with God’s silence. It’s hard to harmonize our heartache with […]

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Trivia, but Not Trivial

By Joe Barnett / October 8, 2018 / Comments Off on Trivia, but Not Trivial

Great is his love toward us.       —Psalm 117:2 Here’s a bit of trivia for you. The shortest chapter in the Bible is separated by only one chapter from the longest. The longest chapter is Psalm 119, which has 176 verses; 2,426 words. The shortest chapter is Psalm 117, which has only two […]

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Choose Your Wardrobe

By Joe Barnett / October 5, 2018 / Comments Off on Choose Your Wardrobe

Always be humble, gentle, and patient.                —Ephesians 4:2 Do you remember the tale about the guy who came to work out of sorts? His secretary asked, “Did you wake up grouchy this morning?” He said, “No, I let her sleep.” Consider these two lists: Cranky                            Pleasant Critical  […]

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Out of the Mouths of Babes

By Joe Barnett / October 4, 2018 / Comments Off on Out of the Mouths of Babes

Let the little children come to me.            —Mark 10:14 Vince Gerhardy tells about a Sunday school teacher who introduced her little ankle biters to Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. . . .” The following week she asked if anyone could quote Psalm 23. A […]

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